Nampa Man Admits Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

Nampa Man Admits Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

BOISE, ID—Juan Jose Sanchez, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to information presented in court, officers with the Nampa Police Department contacted Sanchez on January 14, 2014, when they responded to a complaint at a residence in Nampa. When officers spoke to Sanchez they discovered that he had a loaded handgun tucked in the front of his waistband. Officers seized the handgun and identified it as an H&R nine-shot .22 caliber revolver. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of the felony crime of aggravated battery on September 7, 2011, in Canyon County, Idaho. Sanchez was still on parole at the time he possessed the .22 revolver.

The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The government is seeking forfeiture of the firearm.

Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2014, by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.

Sanchez is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is composed of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.